On May 25, 2015, the students Renata Muylaert (coordinator) and Patricia Rogeri (speaker) participated in the round table “Flying in Neotropical landscapes” along with Prof. Enrico Bernard (UFPE) and Prof. Ciro Libio (UFMA). During the discussion, several aspects of the use of space, mainly by fruit bats were mentioned. Prof. Ciro Libio discussed the choice of scales in the study of biologic responses to landscape using bats as models. Patricia Rogeri introduced the innovative method by which she will collect information about space use by a small fruit-eating bat in fragmented landscapes, and how she will assess inter-individual variations in the response of these bats to the landscape metric. Prof. Enrico Bernard presented the reality of the landscapes of the Brazilian Northeast Atlantic Forest, which has many small fragments amid an array of monoculture of sugarcane, a “not at all homogeneous” matrix. In this landscape, large fruit bats seem to take shelter in a variety of locations, both very close to the edges as in the forest. There is a dependence on forests for foraging. Though, perhaps due to lack of available shelter in the woods, bats seek shelter in urban buildings or isolated trees. It is noteworthy that the current condition of brazilian Northeast landscapes, highly fragmented area, it is not favorable to the presence of minor forest-dwelling bat species.

Research about animal movement within forests may assist and empower actions of environmental restoration. White lipped peccaries with GPS collars are currently being monitored at Pantanal, Mato Grosso.

“Getting to know how animals move enables us to better plan conservation and restoration actions. There are several services wildlife provides us with that are based on movement that we still do not know enough about”, says professor Milton Cezar Ribeiro.